File.



CLB. ULRICH.

FILE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1 llillllllllllilllil l ill '\2 W U c. B. ULRICH.

FILE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22. 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[IIIIIIHI G. B. ULRICH.

FILE.

APPLICATION FILED 1320.22. 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

M-IO

lifiliiiilili C. B. ULRICH.

FILE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22. 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

1| IIIIIIIHHIHIH HIHHI HI IIIH I II IHIH lll lllllllll HHIIII llllllll [MIN HHIH IHHIH IIIHH HHHI llllunhllliillllllllllllllllmll a B. ULRICH, 0F HOUG HTON, MICHIGAN.

" FEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2,1915.

Application filed December 22, 1914.- Serial No. 878,549.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES B. ULRICH, a citizen of the United 'States, residing at Houghton, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Files, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to files and has for its object to provide for filing large thin sheets, such for instance as tracings, blue prints and the like, in a vertical position, and also to provide for .the convenient introduction and removal of individual sheets from "any portion of the file.

lt'is also designed tomaintain the sheets in a "fiat and smooth conditioi so as to avoid wrinkling and creasing there f.

Astill further object of the invention-is to provide vfor efie'ctually holding the bottom portions of a plurality of sheets within the up an portion'ofi-apocket, when the sheets. ave been partially withdrawn. from the pocket, and thereby to'permit of the selection and withdrawal of any oneof the sheets without necessitating the withdrawal ofthe other sheets. i

With these. and other objectsin view-,"the

present invention consists in the combina-- tion andarrangement "of parts, aswill be hereinafter more fully:described,= shown in the drawin and particularly set forth in the append e d claims, it being understood that changes in the form',-proportion, size and mino'r details may-he made, within thei scopeof the claims, without departing from' the spirit orcsacrificing any of the .advan-- "out it's top and opposite ends Each s'de o eachpocket is made up of a plurality of upright members 10 spaced at regular intervalsand preferably formed of sheet metal.-

tages of} the invention In the drawings, Figure '1 1s a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a file embody-- resent invention.

ing thefeatures of the Fig. 2 is a cross-sectiona view on an enlarged scale, showin'g one of the filing" k-- ets in elevationr Fig. '3 is-an enlarge end view of one of the'pockets: Fig. 4 is. an enlarged detail sectional view throdghbne end of one of the pocket-supportingdevices. Fig. 5 is'an'end elevation; with-one of thefolders drawn partially enter a pocket and: opened to" give access to the sheets in the folder; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view 'ofone" ofthe folders of the present invention.

Fig. .7 is aperspective view of another bodiment of the invention, one corner of the case or cabinet being broken away to show some of the pockets. Fig. 8 is an enlarged.

fragmentary detail sectional view showing the manner of supporting a pocket on oneofthe' walls of the case or cabinet. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a file embodyingthe features of the present invention and-including one pocket only.

Like parts on the drawing are designated by. corresponding reference characters.

Referring atv first more particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, 1 designates a suitable case'or cabinet provided with a hinged top 2 anda front-3, which is hinged or pivoted at its lower edge, as indicated at 4, and is connected at each end at the top thereof with the back of the case on cabinet by a pair of pivotally connected links 5 and 6, the pivotal connection of which is adapted to break downwardly when the front of the case or cabinet is swungi'nwardly into its closed position.

Within the cabinet, at the top and at each end thereof, there'is .a lazy tong device 7 the front-endof which is pivotally connected toqthe front-of the casing or cabinet by a bracket -8, and its rear end connected to the back 10f the cabinet :by a bracket 9. Suspended from and between the two lazy tong devices-is a series of file pockets, and as these pockets are duplicates-in construction and arran ement, a description I of a single 3 pocket wilbe sufiicient. EachpocketisLof skeleton. formation, and is open through-.

While any number of these side strips or :members may be employed, three such members have been shownv in Fig. 2 of the draw -]'ects through the end of the cross-bar and is provided with a reduced terminal stud orpintle 13 which isreceived in the adacent tubular pivot 14 of ,the lazy tong evice. The tubular cross-bar 11 is formed of a single sheet of metal bent into'substantially tubular'form with its edge portions 15 extending downwardly from the tubular pertion to form sidemembers, the extremities 16- of which are folded upwardly on the outer faces of the res ctive side members so as to form hooked anges,;with which the upper hooked ends 17 of'the side members 10 are engaged. These interhooked portions are suitably connected, say for instance,by

being spot-welded so as" to hold the side members 10 in their proper spacedrelation.

The lower ends of each pair of pocket side members 10 are connected by a dependingmoval of sheets, while the flexible loops tend to draw together'the sides of the pocket under the weight of the contents thCB f,

thereb centering the contents and preventing co lapsing or bulging thereof, as will be hereinafter explaine' I 1 I v By reference to. 1 and3 of the draw' ings, it will. be note :that'one side'of pocket is sus ndedf-fromone cross-bar or supporting member, while the-opposite side of the pocket is connected to the next-adjacent cross-bar or supportingfmember, whereby the open top of the pocket .is conveniently accessible through the unobstructed space between adjacent cross-bars; j

In the embodiment showlIiFi .1, 2'

and 5 of the drawings, the'cr'ossarsjor supporting members are supported upon-the pivotal connections of-the laz'v tong devices,

and consequently said cross- -jars:. -a re separated when the front .3, off thcabinet is opened, and are moved toward one another when said front is closed,' .wherebythe sidesof the ockets are drawnja'part-when the front 0 the case or cabinet s opened, and, are forced toward one another when. the

front of the cabinet is closedgjigi Between adjacent pockets there} is per transverse series ofisprings' 19 andra similar'lower series of springsfll). One end of each spring is connected to. the exteriorof one of the pockets and its opposite-end is connected to the exteirior. off the adjacent pocket. Each seriesiof springs is located along a transverse line'where'the contents of the pocket has a tendency to bul ge, buckle or break down, and therefore these. series of sp i g P QYi mpw ensi hefi d formationhaving'spaced of the pocket at the most advantageous places 'for preventing buckling of the eonn tents of .the ocket and thereby maintain fsaidcontents m a smooth and upright condition Helical springs are preferred, as the 'coils thereof nestinoneanother andthus permit of the pockets being forced into close relation. I i

For each pocke't,'there is provided a folder such for'instance, as'is 'shown'in Fi s. 6,

2 ands-5;" Folders-have been omitted roin construction shown therein. "lhis folder is of relatively-heavy material, and-iseither a single. piece of material. folded midway between its ends, or it may-be made up of two piecesv of material suitably connected along,

their loweredges.

' may haveone or-more partitions 22 dividing the folder into a plurality of compartments. The sides of the folder are ofthe same height sofas to bring their the "same' horizontal plane. ne corner *of the front of each folder is notched or I cut away, aslat 23, so-as to expose an-index por-v tion 240a the rear side member of the folder. For purposes 10f. strength and durability, the

' q t a piece 0 tape',-;as shown at;25.=- There is of the-folder may be boundwith provided one such folder for each' pocket, the-vertical dimension of theEfolder exceeding'that ofthe pocket, as'clearly 's'hown in Fig 2.:of the drawin' ,in order that the folder may extend a (we the top..l:of the ket-into position fer convenient access. e tracings, blue prints or other sheets to be filed away are placed in the. folder in a" flat condition, and then the folder is thrust downwardly through the open top of a pocket into the position shown in Fig. '2,- in

which position it is held in an upright posi-;

tion and the contents thereof is maintained in. a smooth vertical condition bygreason of the c m' pression afforded by the compression springs Moreover, the flexible loops; 1.8, constituting the bottom of. the pocket, sag.

down under the weight of the folder and its contents, and thereby pply pressure-to o osite sides of the bottom portion of t e older so as to prevent fihe latter fromm; kling or bulging below the lower se'riesifefiz compression SJfl'lllgS 20;

When itis e'siredto have access to a trac-' If "desired, the folder ing, blue. print or other sheet in one of the pockets, the case or cabinet is opened, as'in Figs; 1 and 5, and the desiredfolder is grasped by its upper edges and pulled up wardly until the bottom ortion of the folder is gripped between t e upper series of compression springs, whereupon the sides of the folder are spread apart, and. the desired tracing orthe like selected, drawn out of thefolder and spread across the top of thevdevicet this manipulation, the

75 Fig. l'as their presencewould obscure the ease f lder and ontents are seren ly d; in position by the uppersenies of compression springs. and need no attentionfrom the-user of the device. After the sheet has, been examined', it may be conveniently returned to. its place by permitting a portion of the sheets to fold over toward toward the front of the case, and then the removed sheet may be placed fiatwiseupon the front sheets with both hands .ontopthereof and then moved edgewise down between the sheets until its lower edge is stopped by the bottom of the folder, whereupon the folder may be folded up; and thrust downwardly into the pocket until stopped by the bottom thereoff It will, of course, be understood that the compression springs are arranged to apply suflicient pressure to maintain even .a single sheet in a smooth upright condition, and so the device is adapted for either a few sheets or many sheets up to the capacity of the pockets.

While a plurality of pockets have n shown in Fig. l of the drawings, it will, of

course, be'understood that each pocket is v complete in itself and may .beused singly or in series, as may be desired.

The folder is open throughout its ends in order that the front and back thereof may be opened up and folded back as hereinbefore described and shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, to give convenient access to the contents of the folder, and to permit the ready introduction of sheets.

Itis not necessary that all of the sheets be of thesamevertioal dimension, as a small sheet may be thrust down into the bottom of the folder and be gripped between the lower series ot'springs, and upon drawing.

the folder up into the position shown in Fig. 5, the short sheet A will bebrought up into an accessible position, when the other sheets B and (3 have been separated and fielded front and back, respectively.

An important advantage is obtained in having both sides of the folder-01E the same length, andthe front of thefolder-cut away to disclose the indenonj'the back; of the folder, in that as each-index israrried' bythe back of its folder the-user of'the device will have adefinite his toeach folder, and can thereby-Moi ta "hold-ofone side of one folder andthe erside of an adjacent folder and consequently pulling out two folders.

To. increase theclassification 0t tracings, blue prints or the like,'fhalt length folders, such asshown at D and E in Fig. 2 of the drawings, may be employed, each folder, of course, being cut away atthe front to expose the index on, the rear side of eiclder. Y

the back of the case and the remaining portions to fold-over form thereot.

1 to- 6, inclusive, is that at the enpnnsihle type, but it will, ct course, berunderstned that the invention is not limited to threes-- ension type,

as will be readily understand bv reterenceto Figs.- Z, 8 and 9a his; 72,

The .embediment of thisinventiton 26 isa case or cabinetin the .i'ormief a rec,

tangular box havinga suitable; hingedcoten 27 and containing pockets embodying-the. features of the present inventien,.=ss; hereina beforedescribedandparticularly illustrated in'Figs. 3 and 5, the difierenceheing Klimt-sly in themangner of supporting the pockets. Instead ot asubstantially tubular crossbar: 11, there is provided a flat cllossrhardha notched. at each. end to provide a hQQl;'29

pocket, are bent-overthe top of an adiacent' cross-bar. .28, while the adjacent sidemem hereof the next pocket are bent over same cross-bar, there being a substantially U-shaped cap strip 32 secured over the ht over portions of the members 10, so as to cover them up and give a proper finish. to the pockets. In this construction, there is no lateral movement of the cross-bars for the purpose of expansion, but it, cfconnea, will be understood that the compresicn springs 19 and 20 are employed in exaicttyz the same relation as shown in higs. 1,2,;3

and 5.v

As clearly shown in Fig. 1,-there-iseeeries of springs between the front of thecase or cabinet and the adjacent side otthe fie-eat pocket, and likewise thereis. aseries oil springs between the back of the case or-eahi net and the rear pocket, such an arran e-v ment, of course, being true in the embo i merit shown in Fig. 7'. i

. lVhile there isa greatercompression upenj the contents of the file. in the enpanzsibl'e form-shown in Figs. 1, 2 and5, yet it will be understood that the compressiondne the closing of the hinged front of the cabinet isinot essential to the propermaintenance of the sheets in the pockets, as: this-is form of the device and the non-'expansible While folders have not been shown in Fig. 7, because they would merely confuse the construction, itis, ofcourse, toheunderstood that folders; are employedin this embodiment of the invention in order that tracings d the like may he cenvenientlydrawn out of the pockets and opened up for inspection in precisely the same manner as described in connection with Fig. of the wholly from its upper end and hangs freely therefrom except for the com ression of the springs, and the bottom of t e pocket terminates short of the bottom of the case or cabinet and is entirely free and unsupported in order that the bottom edge of the "folder mag centered as hereinbefore described.

y reason of the skeleton formation of the pocket, no air is trapped therein when the: folder is forced ,down into the pocket, which, is, of course, a very important feature of this invention. Moreover, the metallic side members 10 are'smooth and rela-.

tively stiff as compared with the flexible bottoms of the pocket, whereby said smooth metal sides facilitate the introduction of the folder into the pocket.

For somepurposes, such for instance as holding tracings, drawings or the like at an end or the back of a drawing board, a single pocket is suflicient, and for such use, the file may be'constructed to include one pocket only, as shown in Fig. 10 of. the drawings, wherein the pocket construction is exactly the same as hereinbefore described, except for a slight change in the manner of suspending the pocket. In this arrange- 'ment, the case or cabinetl) is of a size to accommodate a single pocket with its springs 19 and 20 bearing against the front and back, respectively, of the case. The top 1 of the case, of course, is open and is'provided with a .hinged cover 2 of any suitable or preferred construction. The casing may be astened at its upperend to the back or end of a drawing board, table or the like in any suitablemanner. The top of each side of the pocket may be connectedto theadjacent wall of the case or cabinet in any preferred way, say, for instance, by having the metallic sidep ieces bent over-into hooked engagement with the upstanding clips 33 carried by the respective walls'of the case or cabinet. Of course, a single folder, such as shown in Fig. 6, is employed with the single pocket form oiv the file. I

Having thus described the? invention, what I claim is 1. A file havi'n an upright pocket'open at its upper end; a older carried in the pocket and open -at its top and ends, and compression means along the upper portion of the ocket to hold the bottom portion of the older within the pocket when drawn up opposite the compression means.

2. A file havln an upright pocket open at its upper'end, a %older carrie in the pocket and open at its top and ends, and compress posite the compression means, said compression means including sprmgs bearlng a gainst the exteriors .of

pocket. v

'3. A file having an uprightpocketopen at its upper end and also suspended from its top, the bottom of the pocket being a flexible loop free and unsupported, and the sides of the pocket above the flexible bottom being stiff and constituting guides.

4. Afile having an upright pocket open at its upper end and also su ended from its top, said pocket being of skeleton formation and having stiff upright side members, and

the opposite sides of the flexible loops connecting the bottoms of corresponding side members and constituting the bottom of, the'pocket.

5. A file having an upright pocket open at its upper end and also suspended from its top, said pocket being of skeleton formation and having stifl? upright side members. flexible loops'oonnecting the bottoms of corresponding side members and constituting the bottom of thepocket, and compression springs bearing against the stiff side members of the pocket. I

6. A file comprising a cabinet having an open top, a seriesfof cross-bars within the upper portion of the cabinet, 2. series of pockets suspended from the cross-bars and provided with flexible bottoms disposed above the bottoin of the cabinet, each pocket 5 having one side suspended from one crossbar and'the opposite side suspended from an adjacent cross-bar, folders in the pockets and open at their tops and ends, and compression means along the upper portions of the pockets to hold the bottom portions of folders within the pockets when drawn up opposite the compression means.

. zontal plane, there being a notch or opening in the upper'portion of the'front of the holder, and an index carried by the front side oftheback of theholder in alinement. withgthenetch or opening in the front side of'thelholder.

Bi -Aid lde'r for vertical filingpurposes, com rising'a'front and back connected along the oweredg'es only,the top and ends of the folder bein Jo n and-the top edges of the front and ac of the-folder being in substantially thesa'm'e horizontal plane, the upper portion of the front of the folder having a notch or opening, and the front face of with the notch or opening, and e partition the back of the folder having an index in rising from thehottom of the folder and alinement with said notch or opening. having a portion terminating short of the 9. A folder for vertical filing purposes index. 5 having a front and a back connected along In testimony whereof I afix my signature 15 their lower edges only, the folder being open in presence of two Witnesses.

throughout its top and ends, the upper por- CHARLES B. ULRICH. tion of the front of the folder having a Witnesses: notch or opening, an index upon the front H. S. SHEPARD,

10 face of the back of the folder in alinement I W. M. 'r. 

